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Students from the Bucktail Youth Program meet with Thomas, a study abroad returnee, and Sun Young, a current international student at Lock Haven University.

The Bucktail Youth Leadership Program started as a pilot program in 2009 with students in Renovo attending Bucktail High School. The program was instantly successful, and 2013 marks the fourth class to be enrolled. Students are recommended to participate by their teachers and guidance counselor, and typically six to eight students are selected. The youth leadership program introduces the students to leadership building, communication, and other life skills activities. The students are involved in team-building, public speaking, and leadership exercises. The program is a cooperative effort between The Clinton County Youth Council, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Keystone Central School District, and Leadership Clinton County Alumni Association. Volunteers from the community give their time and resources to organize sessions that include travel throughout Clinton County as well as a visit with legislators in Harrisburg. A highlight each year includes a visit to Lock Haven University for a “Day of Diversity” where the students talk to staff members in international students and cultural diversity; meet with international students and study abroad returnees, and learn about how to interact with those who may have a disability.

Melissa McCollum, a junior psychology major, has been awarded the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) to study abroad this fall. The GKS, which is an initiative by the Korean Government, aims to promote mutual understanding between world countries by facilitating educational exchange human resource mobility, thereby contribute to the development of international education peace. McCollum will study at Chungnam National University, LHU’s partner institution in South Korea.

This award will cover many of the expenses that are associated with studying abroad. Melissa received roundtrip airfare from the U.S. to Seoul; money to cover living expenses at CNU as well as health insurance. The scholarship amounts to approximately $5000 USD.

Rosana Campbell, the director of the Institute for International Studies, is thrilled that Melissa has received this recognition and award. “I am extremely proud of Melissa. She is a great student and worked incredibly hard to create a strong essay for the scholarship. The selection process is competitive. This is a great achievement,” Campbell said.

McCollum, who is from Philadelphia, will be studying Korean language, culture, and politics while she is abroad. Melissa was chosen as a recipient of the GKS based on her academic achievements as well as an essay.

Dr. Tara Mitchell, a professor of psychology and Melissa’s academic advisor says, “I am so proud of Melissa’s accomplishment. She is a wonderful student in every way and is highly deserving of this scholarship. I know that she will thrive in this experience and be a great representative of Lock Haven University’s students.”

Welcome back, everyone! Last fall was an exciting semester at the Institute for International Studies; we hosted an outstanding group of freshman and exchange students; implemented new initiatives both on campus and in the local community; witnessed a growing number of student interest in several of our exchange programs and cultural activities; and had a very successful International Education Week.

From Australia to Mexico, from Finland to South Korea, we hosted students from almost every corner of the globe. I was pleased to see our students engaged in our newest initiatives: the International Student Success Series and the Eagles Explorer Program. From attending mandatory workshops to taking trips to different areas of the country, these two initiatives will, no doubt, help our students not only adjust to U.S. culture and academics, but also to make friends.

Our bi-annual Study Abroad Open House in September was a success. Over 100 students attended the event and more than 65 students attended one of the study abroad information sessions in the IIS available throughout the semester. Open House attendees, Rachel Marra and Nytashia Ennis, both received the prestigious Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad this spring in Brazil and South Korea, respectively. I am very proud of them.

The IIS thanks all the faculty for their continued support for international programs in various ways — helping with new international student orientation, serving as a host encouraging and advising students who want to study abroad, and finding seats for exchanges students in your classes. We very much appreciate your support. We also thank our colleagues in Student Life for making LHU a wonderful home for our students.

I hope that you will enjoy reading our revived newsletter (and share it with friends). Please feel free to contact us with any ideas or requests – we would love to hear from our readers!

I am always pleased to see and experience the many displays of culture on our campus. I would like to thank all of the international students who have selected Lock Haven University to further their education in the United States. Each of them is an integral part of the University’s commitment to diversity and global engagement. They bring an enormous wealth of knowledge to the classroom and ensure that LHU and the surrounding communities develop a better understanding of the world.

It is also important for U.S. students to study and travel abroad, and to learn as much as they can about other cultures, customs, and societies. LHU has a long tradition in global education, and I am very proud to be a part of an evolving and welcoming environment. When asked about his country of origin, Socrates replied that he was “a citizen of the world.” One of our goals at Lock Haven University is to develop global citizens, and each year, the achievements of LHU students, faculty, and staff accomplish this objective.

Last semester, we had the wonderful opportunity of working with the Lock Haven Area YMCA to plan a children’s event. Children received a “passport” and traveled around to different countries. Each country had a different activity which was somehow tied to their local culture. International Children’s Day gave students the opportunity to share some of their culture with the local community and was very successful.

We are very happy to highlight the International Student Association (ISA) which is a student run group on campus. The ISA is a place for both international and American students that are interested in learning about and sharing different cultures. See below some of the wonderful pictures from last semester! We’re excited to get the ball rolling this spring. Feel free to look at more photos on our Facebook Page.

Prue, from Australia, and her Friendship Family at the ISA Ball. – Fall 2012

The IIS is happy to announce that the International Friendship Program, which originally started in 2004, was successfully revived during the Fall 2012 semester. This program pairs international students with faculty, staff and members of the local community. The idea is that everyone will share their cultures and although many things are new for the students that are just arriving in America, they have a friendly face they can count on.

A short application allows the IIS to match students and hosts that will help them make the most out of their time here in Lock Haven. Pictured to the left is Prue, who studied abroad here in the fall, with her friendship family. Prue was very vocal about how the International Friendship Program made her time in the US more enjoyable.

We are still in the process of matching our new international students for the spring semester. If you are interested in being part of the International Friendship Program, please see our website for more information and for a quick link to the application.

In an inter-disciplinary effort Dr. Cengiz Yakut from the Health and Physical Education Department and Dr. Jim Bean from Psychology are studying sports attitudes and values from multi-cultural perspectives. Why do many people around the world love sports as fans and participants? Are there differences between cultures in sports values, as well as, common attitudes? To answer these and other questions the researchers use online surveys written in a number of languages.

They recently presented some of their data at the 2012 International Sociology of Sport Association Conference in Glasgow, Scotland UK. They compared American sports attitudes with German and Austrian respondents and found common, as well as, differing attitudes.

It was concluded that, even with this limited sample; there may, indeed, be sport universals as well as particulars due to cultural variances in values. This spring the researchers will begin surveying respondents in a broader global sample using surveys translated into Spanish, French, Russian, German, Arabic, Italian, and Turkish and will then move to Asian countries and languages.

Nytashia Ennis and Rachel Marra who are currently attending Lock Haven University will be awarded with the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship for international travel. The selection process for this scholarship is very competitive and to be an award winner is an honor.

Read more about the Gilman Scholarship winners on the LHU website by clicking HERE.

The Eagle Explorer program is an effort by the Institute for International Studies to show international students historical and cultural points of interest while they are visiting the US. This semester the Eagles Explorers coordinated trips to Hershey Park, New York City, the Amish countryside and Washington, D.C.

The Hershey Park trip, which took place in the beginning of the semester, was a chance to show international students about American theme park culture as well as the American candy industry. Hershey Park, which is home to roller coasters, a zoo, and the incomparable Chocolate World provided something for everyone involved. Although the fun ended early due to rain, students got to make up lost time with some shopping at the Tanger Outlets. Check out some of the great Hershey Park photos HERE.

Following Hershey Park, the Eagle Explorers went to New York City for a full two and a half days. Students had a chance to visit the Freedom Towers, take a tour on a double-decker bus and walk the Brooklyn Bridge. Visiting historical sites such as the Flatiron Building and enjoying an American classic, sloppy Joe’s, for lunch filled the Saturday before a group dinner. Many students took advantage of their free time with museums, cultural landmarks, and shopping before heading back to Lock Haven. To see some of the photos our students took on the NYC trip, click HERE.

Staying local, Ms. Shawn O’Dell organized a trip to explore the Amish countryside. Because the Amish culture is one that is completely unique to North America, this was a great opportunity to show international students a side of America they might not regularly see. After visiting a small farm store in Salona, a short bus tour around the local area illustrated that while Amish people live within our society, their culture is very different from ours. Take a look at photos from the Amish farm trip on the IIS Facebook HERE.

To end the semester, the Eagle Explorers headed to the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. Touring Arlington Cemetery as a group, there was a good deal of history shared and everyone was able to witness the traditional “Changing of the Guard” Ceremony in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Additionally, the group took a guided tour of the Capitol to learn some history behind the building as well as the present day happenings in Congress. After the group activities, students had their choice of museums and monuments to visit. The most popular of the Eagle Explorers trip, Washington D.C. was definitely a success.

The Eagle Explorers program will coordinate more trips this spring for our new incoming international students and others that are interested. Some future visits will include New York City, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.